The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-07-30
A LITERARY VENTURE.
How and Why It Proved a Grand
Success.

4 "Just turn the axis of your optical
apparatus in this direction, John How
land. That is the kind of mail matter
receive" cried Stuart Claire, as,
bursting into Howland's law Office in
Windham, he held up two bulky en-
velopes. .Both those stories l sent
out fortnight ago have returned like
bad pennies. They were forwarded
from home this morning. declare it's
too bad, after all the wear and tear of
brain tissue spent upon them!'
'.Pshaw! Stuart, that's nothing.
Wait, as 1 do, until you have things
come back six or eight times before
you complain. Lack of appreciation
is the common fate of all great minds.
'Sartor Resartus' and 'Innocents
Abroad were rejected at first. Then
see the great poems that have met with
cold reception-the Song of the
Shirt, for instance. Why, only fort
night ago the Meteor rejected one of
my finest illusions on Autumn 1t
started out in this way"
1.-THE Meteor?"
mo; the poem.'
"'Wide, hillock-dimpled amber lass
Stretch far away before my door;
The grasses rolled
By autumn's breeze,
Recall the tales that seers of old
Wrote OF deep-waved Hesperian seas
OF molten gold"
''Say, John, if I'll admit that that
doggerel and Song of the Shirt ought
not have been refused, what will you
take in cash not to inflict upon me the
remaining stanzas. I'm not feeling
very strong to-day, and moreover, I'm
interested just now in the fate of these
Stories" interrupted Stuart.
"Oh, of course I'll stop if your sordid
soul can not comprehend the beautiful
imagery. What about those precious
sketches of yoursP"
"Well, I'm puzzled what to do with
them. One editor writes that the story
sent him is meritorious, but can not
be used on account of lack of space.
stuart Clare, when were you bornp
You make me blush for your ignorance.
Don't you know that that hackneyed
excuse is only another way of telling
you that he thinks your stuff the
merest bosh."
"Welf, that is what he said, anyway.
The other one says my descriptions are
excellent, but that the conversational
scenes are wretched. I've notion to
throw both packages into the fire. Lit
crary ambition is all vanity and vexa-
ton
80 your descriptions are good and
the talk poor? Strange coincidence
The editor of the Ciceronidn wrote me
only last week that my description.
spoiled the good impression made by
my love-scenes. Say, Stuart, have
au idea"
Don't lose it. You may never hav,
another"
''Silence in the court! Let's form /:
partnership. You write the descrip
tions and I'll do up the talking. It'll
be just the thing-Besant and Rice
Erckmann-Chatrain, Nicolay and Hay
style, don't you knowp
THAT is good scheme. While W,
were about it we might write book.
Eyes, and we could use our las
summers camping at the lake as par
Of the machinery"
make you and Millie Payson chic
Motors, ehP By the way, John, do you
over write to Miller"
mo. The fact is, Stuart, dare not
/ am afraid should tell her too much
and, although she was very kind to m
at the camp, 1 know Judge Payson'
daughter would never marry strug
Cling limb of the law like me-"
''Nonsense! She will think it strang
that two months have passed and yor
have not written, when you live onl
fifty miles away. You were bot
awful 'spoony' at the lake, you know
If l were in your place I'd frame som
excuse and begin correspondence. /
won't do any harm, and it may max
your fortune"
Then the conversation drifted bac
to the literary project, and when, tn
next day, Stuart Claire returned home
he and his bosom friend had complete
arrangements for writing book
They had both been eager, but, thu
far, unsuccessful aspirants for literar
glory; but they hoped by joining thei
forces to produce a taking work
tale which might perchance prov
the longed-for ideal American move
Both were to write upon note-papel
because, as Stuart had said, Their
would be less words upon a page, an
1t would require less copying to dove
tail the two portions of the story.
Six weeks went by. John in Vino
ham and Stuart in Beloit, score {
miles apart, had both been able
snatch considerable time from their nc
very pressing law-practices, and devot
It to developing the agreed-upon plo
Then Stuart, who was to make the fir
attempt to arrange the work, wrote h
friend to send ON the manuscript.
was done. In few days came bac
this letter:
"DELorr, Nov. 20, 1884.
my DEAR JOHN: received the package
m10uScTipt, ana nave DteH Ousy COMBINING
with mine They match pretty fairly, and
think. by using few hundred words he
and there as harness, we can have strol
team.
~ find one place, however, where you ha
slipped q cog SO 70 spe7k. In the eighteen
chapter page is missi Allyn Germainc h
thrown himself on his lees before Cenevr
and you start him OF all right with, parlin
you know have gwen; and the next she
says:
'''Speak, darling
"'But 0encvra fed like frighted fawn,' e'
You seem TO have missed the speech entire
Please send the omitted leaf tomorrow.
~ have written Sloan & Jeerns publisher
Who say they will print our book very rease
ably.
"Hope 70 get up 10 see you next month
"Yours unalterably,
'SrUARr CLAIRE "
John Rowland remembered Il
omitted passage we'll He had Civ
4 muth thought. Tor he wished to maj
A. ~ nnpoaaiva ~ uosaihle, With